Earlier this month our reviewer, Mark Palm had the pleasure of interviewing author Jane D. Everly, who is an up and coming thriller writer. Jane D. Everly took some time to speak with us about her new book project, Havelock, a serial novel being released in six parts, her writing career, and random things she enjoys.
JDE: I originally pitched it as a full length novel back in February but I hadn't written it yet. With the release of Spectre coming up this November, the awesome folks at Curiosity Quills wanted to see it completed to somewhat coincide with the movie's release so they suggested a serial novel, knowing full well it would make me sit down and write the novel. They were absolutely correct.
BEF: What has the "serial book" experience been like as a writer and how does it differ from producing a typical novel? JDE: I already had the story fully mapped out so it's been a matter of getting the chapters written to coincide with the deadlines. It's been an interesting way to write a book because I've had to hit those specific milestones and it's given me some interesting insight. Not least of which is that I can write a full novel within 6 months when properly motivated. BEF: Everyone at The Bookend Family loves the multitude of "book lover" websites. We are especially fond of www.goodreads.com for it's wealth of information. On your Goodreads page it states that you wanted to be a romance novelist. Are you glad that you became a different kind of writer, and what has your writing career journey been like that has brought you to this point? JDE: In college in the UK, romance seemed to be the right way to go. It seemed like the genre was on an upward trend and I had grown up reading romance novels because that's what I always thought I should be writing. However, it never felt fully right and although I had some short romance stories published in the UK, I kept being drawn to more enigmatic characters. A friend let me borrow his copy of Casino Royale (it wasn't long after the movie had come out) and I devoured the thing. Fleming's Bond had such charm, wit, and romantic inclinations (a trait they completely reversed in the movies) but was set in this world of espionage and intrigue. It had action and sex, villains and nefarious schemes. I loved it, but I always thought 'what if James Bond was a female?' So in answer to your question, yes I'm very happy with the route my writing journey has taken me so far. I'd doubt I'd ever go back to writing romance, at least not in the conventional sense.
BEF: Did you ever conceive of Havelock being a romance novel? Or did you realize from the beginning that it would be a thriller?
JDE: I suppose in its own little way, Havelock is a romance novel, just not between two people. For all the twists and turns, Eliana is in love with her life and the potential there and there's a romantic element to her origin and her mother's story that I can't reveal as of yet. But realistically, this novel was intended to be a thriller from the start. It opens with Eliana being tortured. Not many romance readers would enjoy that I don't think :) BEF: If you could have one of Eliana’s skills which one would you choose, and why? JDE: Hmm. That's a good question. I think her ability to adapt to any situation and improvise. I think that would be a useful skill to have. She has a lot of learned skills, but there are a few like her having to 'inventory' rooms when she walks into them that are more just a part of who she is. I kind of like that about her too. BEF: I have read that you were heavily influenced by geek culture. As a fellow geek what affected you the most, and what would you say are your most favorite fandoms if any? JDE: I could go on about geek culture all day! It is a golden time to be a geek, there's just so much that as a child I never would have thought I'd get to see transcend mediums. I was a big fan of the Lord of the Rings movies (not the Hobbit, that was needless), I'm a massive Doctor Who fan, I love Game of Thrones and all the risks that show continues to take in adapting the novels . . . Walking Dead, Arrow, Flash, Constantine (very upset it got cancelled), all the Marvel movies, Daredevil on Netflix . . . there's just so many. I think what I'm currently most excited about though is the new Star Wars movie. I'll be at whatever late night IMAX screening I have to in order to see that as soon as it gets released! JDE: Thank you so much for this interview, it means a lot to me. I'm a big fan of the Bookend Family! :)
The Bookend Family would like to thank Jane D. Everly for taking the time to answer our questions and writing one hell of a book. We hope that you take the time to check it out for yourself and follow along as each part is released. The Bookend Family will be sure to keep you posted when each new part is available. Happy Reading!
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July 2020
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